Sundara fest has come and gone, and what an experience it truly was. For years, ODESZA fans continuously asked for a Foreign FamilyODESZA-curated festival. This past weekend, the Seattle duo provided just what we needed: four days of music, amazing vibes, unique sets, and an overall experience that Foreign Family fans have never experienced before.

As a fan, I have stated on numerous occasions that a weekend with multiple ODESZA sets would be my biggest hope. Not only did we get that, we also got a yoga set, and a rambunctious pool party that saw Clayton and Harrison up close and personal with fans for over two hours.

The energy was electric all weekend, especially during ODESZA’s close-out set on Saturday. Sundara felt like the culmination of years and years of hard work and growth all coming together in one epic weekend.

The ODESZA extended set saw a complete rework of the order of songs selected. Old classics such as “My Friends Never Die,” “Something About You,” “Sundara,” and “Saola (Remix)” made their way back into the set list. New edits on “All We Need” and “Bloom” were also introduced, giving fans some unexpected surprises. Those that expected new ID’s were disappointed, as none made their way into this special set.

While those people have a right to their opinion, let’s be real here for a minute. Similar artists in dance music who host their own festival have made music for over a decade. Excision, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, Phish, and Destructo are a few that come to mind. ODESZA has accomplished this in much less time, with far less music.

We asked for two nights at Red Rocks: we got it; asked for VIP’s to be released: we got it; we asked for a Foreign Family curated festival: we got it! ODESZA continuously listens and caters to most of their fans needs and wants.

What is next for ODESZA?

Last October, we had the pleasure of chatting with ODESZA at the Voodoo Music & Arts Festival. We chatted mostly about Sundara Festival and the experience people were signing up for.

There was one very promising subject point we touched on: new music. Clayton stated that the group plans to head back to the studio in late 2019 to get started on new music. Their plan is to return to sounds from their past, a time when expectations were so high, and it was all about creating music from their hearts.

“I think we’re going to return to the sounds we created in Summer’s Gone, a more instrumental way of approaching tracks. Maybe even a little bit weirder, pushing elements that we really haven’t pushed. Both AMA and In Return had tons of vocals, and I think we want to pull back on that and kind of experiment with music we’ve been thinking about for a long time.”

– Clayton Knight

The group’s evolution from 2014 to now is remarkable. They started with DJ sets in 2014, to a live show in 2015, to a full drumline in 2016, and finally: a full orchestra with strings, horns, drums, and featured vocalists in 2019. Sundara was an experience and a journey for most. As a music journalist who constantly writes about hundreds of artists a year, I still struggle to find any label, music, or artists that compare to FFC or ODESZA.

This festival made me feel home, with fans that love the same things as me. Sundara was for us: the fans whose lives have been changed by ODESZA.

This is only the beginning! The journey is long and bright, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.